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Off-duty police officer sentenced in connection with serious fail-to-remain collision in Markham

June 5, 2023, Aurora, Ont. – A York Regional Police officer has been sentenced to an 18-month conditional sentence in connection with a 2019 serious fail-to-remain collision in the City of Markham.

On June 5, 2023, Constable Nathan Coates was sentenced to an 18-month conditional sentence which includes nine months of house arrest, 100 hours of community service and a 30-month driving prohibition. He also must submit a DNA sample to the National DNA Data Bank.

He has been suspended since the time of his arrest. He remains suspended but without pay as of June 5, 2023.

Coates was found guilty of failing to stop after an accident and render assistance by Justice Jonathan Dawes on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.

On Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019, just after 7:15 p.m., York Regional Police responded to a report of a serious collision on Highway 7, near York Durham Line. When officers arrived, they located a motorcycle that had been struck. The driver was taken to hospital with serious, life-altering injuries. Officers learned that a Nissan Pathfinder had collided with the motorcycle and fled the scene. Officers located the Nissan a few kilometres away and arrested the off-duty officer.

Constable Coates has been a member of York Regional Police since 2005. He was assigned to Uniform Patrol, working out of the Whitchurch-Stouffville Community Substation. He has been suspended since his arrest. He now will be subject to additional charges under the Police Services Act.